NHTSA Complaint #10284595 — 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA

STARTED HAVING ISSUES WITH MY 2008 CHEVY IMPALA WITH WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A TIRE BALANCE PROBLEM. DID REQUIRED TIRE ROTATION AS RECOMMENDED AT 6000, 10,000 AND THEN AGAIN AT 13,500. DEALER SAID TIRES MAY BE OUT OF ROUND AND SUGGESTED ROAD FORCE BALANCING AT 16,500 MILES. THIS DID NOT CHANGE THE ISSUE, SO WENT TO GOODYEAR DEALER AND FOUND OUT THAT THE INSIDE 2 INCHES OF ALL FOUR TIRES WERE WEARING EXCESSIVELY WITH THE REAR TWO LESS THAT 2/32 INCHES OF TREAD LEFT. GOODYEAR SHOT THE ALIGNMENT AND SHOWED THAT THE ALIGNMENT WAS WAY OFF AND TIRES COULD NOT BE WARRANTED WITH AN ALIGNMENT ISSUE. TOOK BACK TO CHEVY DEALER TO INFORM THEM OF THE ALIGNMENT ISSUE. THEY SAID ALIGNMENT WAS NOT WARRANTED AFTER 7,500 MILES AND ALSO WOULD NOT REPLACE THE 4 TIRES. I DID GET THE DEALER TO GRATUITOUSLY DO A 4 WHEEL ALIGNMENT THAT ALSO SHOWED THE CAMBER AND TOE, ESPECIALLY IN THE REAR WAS "OUT OF TOLERANCE AND EXCEEDED CROSS-TOLERANCE" ON THEIR MACHINE AS WELL. THE CAMBER COULD NOT BE ADJUSTED WITHOUT EXTRA WORK (ELONGATING THE BOLT HOLES OR A CHAMBER ALIGNMENT KIT). CONTACTED GM COMPLAINT LINE FOR RESOLUTION TO NO AVAIL, SAYING I HAD TO PROVE THAT THERE IS A DEFECT ON THE VEHICLE. THIS IS AN INHERENT SAFETY PROBLEM WITH 2007 AND 2008 IMPALAS THAT HAS FOSTERED NUMEROUS COMPLAINT TO YOU INCLUDING 5 ALREADY THIS YEAR. GM ISSUED A TSB #08032 FOR POLICE IMPALAS THAT ARE ON THE SAME PLATFORM AND SUSPENSION, BUT NEVER EXTENDED THAT TO THE PUBLIC. SEEMS TO ME THAT THE REAR SUSPENSION HAS AN SEVERE DEFECT THAT CAN CAUSE TIRE BLOWOUT WITHOUT WARNING. NO TIRES SHOULD WEAR LIKE THAT WITH LESS THAN 17,000 MILES WITHOUT A REAR SUSPENSION AND ALIGNMENT PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE RECALLED FOR REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT OF THE PARTS AND TIRES. I SAW AT LEAST 12 COMPLAINTS IN THE FIRST 24 PAGES OF 2007 IMPALA COMPLAINTS TO THE ODI. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED AS A RESULT OF THIS CONTINUING IMPALA ISSUE. *TR